Card deck and method of playing card games with same

ABSTRACT

A 50-card deck is provided in which the cards are equally divided between 5 suits. Moreover, each suit contains 10 cards ranging from 2 through 9 and an Ace—the 50-card deck lacks face cards. The suits may be selected from traditional card suits, colors, and other symbols. Use of the five-suit 50-card deck enhances play of traditional card games including Baccarat, Blackjack and many Poker variants by altering odds of winning. Additionally, in Poker the 50-card deck alters the ranking of winning hands. Five of a Kind is available as the highest winning hand and Royal Flush, by virtue of the deck lacking face cards, is not available.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to card games. More specifically, the present invention relates to a 50 card deck and method for playing various card games using the 50 card deck.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Cards of various designs have been used for more than a millennium to play games for wagering and entertainment. In English speaking countries the deck of cards have standardized to a 52 card deck organized into four suits—Spades, Hearts, Clubs and Diamonds—of thirteen ranks per suit, namely 2 through 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. This deck has been in use since around the sixteenth century and is known as a French or Anglo-French deck. As a result of the longevity and wide-spread use of this particular deck design, numerous card games have been developed using this deck.

Another standardized card configuration is the Italo-Spanish or Latin-suited deck commonly used in Mediterranean countries, namely Spain, Italy and Libya, as well as Portugal, Brazil and Hispanic countries of South and Central America. The Latin-suited deck is organized into four suits—Cups, Coins, Clubs and Swords—of 10 ranks per suit, namely 2-7, Knave, Knight, King and Ace. This deck as been in use since at least the 14^(th) century.

In addition to the standard Anglo-French deck and Latin-suited deck described above, various other card configurations have been developed, often for use in a co-developed card game, such as Uno™ or Pinochle.

The Complete Book of Card Games by Hamlyn, Octopus Publishing Group Ltd. 2001, incorporated herein by reference, provides rules for many card games played with either the Anglo-French or Italo-Spanish decks.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention introduces a novel 50 card deck having five suits of ten ranks. In the present invention, each suit has cards incrementing from 2 through 10 and an Ace. The suits are differentiated by color in a first embodiment. However, differentiation of the five suits based on shapes, designs, words, or by any other means conventionally used in the art is equally appropriate, and is considered part of the present invention.

In an alternative embodiment, the deck of cards of the present invention includes 10 cards—2 through 10 and an Ace—unsuited or in a single suit. The 10-card embodiment facilitates adding additional decks of cards as necessary in games where suit differentiation is unnecessary for proper play, such as in Blackjack or 21. The novel 10-card deck of the present invention allows cards to be added in increments of ten cards depending on the requirements of the card game being played and the number of players.

Another embodiment is directed to the use of the 50 card deck in playing card game. In an embodiment, a method for playing poker using a 5 suited 50-card deck is provided. The method includes forming a five card hand selected from: five of a kind created from five cards having identical values, each card being of one of 5 suits; straight flush created from five cards in ascending numerical order, the five cards being of the same suit; flush created from five cards of the same suit; four of a kind created from four cards having identical values, each card being of one of 5 suits, the fifth card having any other arbitrary card value; full house created from three cards having identical values and two cards having identical values different from the value of the three cards, each card being of one of 5 suits; straight created from five cards in ascending numerical order, at least one card being of a different suit, three of a kind created from three cards having identical values, each card being of one of 5 suits, the remaining two cards having any other arbitrary values; two pair created from a first set of two cards having identical values, and a second set of two cards having identical values different from the value of the first set of two cards, the remaining card having any other arbitrary value; one pair having a created from a set of two cards having identical values, the remaining three cards having any other arbitrary value; and high card having created by selecting the highest valued card from among the five card hand, the five card not capable of forming any other 5 card hand. Unlike conventional poker, using a 52-cared deck, the poker game played with the present deck does not permit a royal flush.

Another embodiment is directed to a game of twenty-one (“21”) between at least one player and a dealer, using at least one deck of cards of the present invention, the method comprising: having at least one player place a first wager to participate in the 21 game using the card deck of the present invention, wherein the outcome of the wager is determined by conventional play and the payout determined from the probability of obtaining a winning hand using a card deck containing 50 cards numbered from 2 through 10 and an ace. Although the object of 21 using the present deck is the same as blackjack using a 52-card deck, the probabilities of getting blackjack or 21, 20, 19, 18, or 17 are different than in a conventional blackjack game, and thus the strategy of playing and betting are quite different. For example, using a standardized 52 card deck, there are 64 ways of getting blackjack, while using a 50 card deck, there are only 25 ways of getting blackjack. Thus the payout of conventional blackjack and playing 21 of the present invention will be different. Moreover, because there are picture cards in the conventional deck of 52 cards, there is a greater probability of winning hands when the dealer shows a small face card; however since, the present deck contains no picture cards, for the most part, the probability of getting a winning hand on doubling down is very low and is not a recommended strategy using the deck of the present invention.

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to playing a game of baccarat which comprises:

(a) dealing two cards comprising the Bank hand and the Player hand according to conventional manner of play of baccarat using a 50 card deck comprised of five of each card numbered from 2 to 10 and five aces;

(b) adding the last digit of each card in each hand where a ten is counted as 0 and an ace is counted as 1;

(c) determining the sum total of each hand and comparing the sums of each hand, with the hand having the higher value winning and if the sums are the same in both hands, then it is considered a draw; and

(d) making a bet prior to dealing the cards in one of the three outcomes

-   -   (i) player hand winning—which pays even money or loses if Banker         hand wins and pushes if hands are tied;     -   (ii) Banker hand winning pays even money less commission to the         Bank, loses if player hand wins and pushes if there is a tie;     -   (iii) Player and banker hands tie pays out at odds greater than         1:1, such as 8:1; loses if either player wins, wherein the         probability of winning a Tie Bet is significantly greater using         at least one 50 card deck than using the same number of decks         using a 52-card deck.

The term “significantly” greater in the context of baccarat is meant that there is a reduction of at least 4% and in another embodiment greater than 5% and in another embodiment almost a 6% reduction in House edge over Tie bets if the same number of decks of a 52-card deck were used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a card of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a card of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 through 9 illustrate embodiments of game tables for facilitating play of various card gaming's in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSURE

As defined herein a card suit is a color or design or combination which distinguishes one group of cards incrementing from 2 through 10 and including an ace from another group of card incrementing from 2 to 10 and including an ace. The grouping may be in a color, such as red, green, blue, yellow, white, gold, brown and the like, or a mixture of colors, such as a Rainbow, or the grouping may have a specific logo, design, marking, such as a crest, an animal, a plant or flower, or a word or any other means conventionally used. The term suit is thus used in the generic sense, and is not limited to a color or spades, club, and the like.

Each card in a suit is identified with a number 2 through 10 or an ace. Any marking that is conventionally used can designate these values. In an embodiment, the number can be printed on the card, using Arabic numerals or Roman numerals. In another embodiment, pips may be used to designate the numbers. However, any conventional means may be used to designate the numbers 2 through 10 on the cards. The ace may be indicated by a number 1 or Roman numeral I or by the letter A or drawing an ace, as used in standard decks or by any other means conventionally used.

The markings or designs to indicate the value and suit of the cards is only present on one side of the card, such as the front of the card or face up-side. However, each card, on the other side, i.e., the face down side or the back side of the card in the deck is identical. In other words, all of the cards in the deck have the same design, markings, color, and the like. Further, the cards are of sufficient thickness so that when they are faced down, one cannot visually see the suit or the value of each card with the naked eye. Moreover, the cards are of approximately the same thickness, so from the backside one can not distinguish one card from the other; they will look similar, feel similar and, to the human touch, the thickness will feel the same.

The deck of 50 cards may optionally contain at least one auxiliary card which may be used in any card game. This auxiliary card(s) may be designated to be a specific suit or value or it may take on any suit or value. The markings to designate a value of an auxiliary card are on one side of the card, e.g., the front side, with the markings on the other side of the card match the markings, symbols, logos, and the like that may be used in the deck. The auxiliary cards may serve as wild cards and they can have any markings on the front side, e.g. to designate the auxiliary card, such as a joker or any other design conventionally used. These auxiliary cards, hereinafter designated as joker cards may be used in some games.

The cards may be made of any material normally used in playing cards, for example, paper, plastic, cardboard, and the like.

In an embodiment, the cards are used in playing casino games, such as, for instance, baccarat, blackjack, poker and the like. In another embodiment, they are used to play other card games, such as those card games described in the book entitled “The Complete Book of Card Games,” by Hamlyn, Octopus Publishing Group, Ltd., NY, NY, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated by reference, with the rules being modified to accommodate a 50 card deck, rather than a 52 card deck.

10-Card, Single Suit or Un-Suited Deck

With reference to FIG. 1, a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in which a deck of cards has 10 cards of a single suit. In the present embodiment, a deck of cards of a single suit is intended to include not only standard suits such as Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Cups, Coins or Swords, but may also include a deck of cards having no suit at all or a suit specific to a proprietary game. FIG. 1 shows representations of a set of card 100 which form the deck of cards. Each card 102 has a depiction of the deck's suit 104. In the case where no suit is used, the card may be marked with a logo or simply left blank. Additionally the suit area may be positioned anywhere on the card 102 that is easily visible when the cards are held in a player's hand.

Moreover, suit symbols may be used as indicators (pips 106) for the card value. In cases where no suit is used, the pips 106 may be presented using any symbol or graphic design.

Alternatively, instead of pips 106 the value of the card may be indicated by a numeral or letter in the case of an Ace.

50 Cards, 5 Suit Deck

In an embodiment of the present invention, a deck of 50 cards 200 divided equally into 5 suits is provided as shown in FIG. 2. The suits may be selected from any of the standard suits found on Anglo-French and Italo-Spanish decks, a subset of either or both, and/or proprietary designs. Alternatively, the suits may be color-based rather than symbol-based. In a color-based deck of cards of the present invention, each suit is a unique color distinct from the color of the other suits. For example, Red, Green, Blue, Orange and Yellow may comprise a five-suited deck of the present embodiment. As another example, the color suits may be Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, and Rainbow, where the Rainbow suit has a depiction of the other four suit colors. Using a color-suited deck allows rules for card games to be developed or modified to take advantage of the five distinct colors. With Rainbow cards in a deck, card games may be modified or developed in which the Rainbow suit may function as a wild suit or have particular attributes distinct from the attributes associated with the other four colors.

The ranks in each suit of the present embodiment are valued from 2 through 10 and an Ace, which depending on individual card game rules, may have a value of 1, 11 or other value.

Certain popular card games modified to take advantage of a 5-suit deck of the present invention will be described below with examples of rule modifications. Where applicable, statistical data reflect difficulty in attaining certain winning hands based on the 5-suit deck of the present invention. It is noted that the rules presented below are intended as examples only. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily derive other rules and modifications to card games in light of the disclosure herein.

21 or Five-Color 21

Blackjack is conventionally played with one or more standard 52-card Anglo-French deck. In Blackjack, the dealer deals two cards to each player face down or face up and two cards to the dealer. The dealer's cards are held face down for the first dealt card and face up for the second dealt card. The object in Blackjack is to hold either a Blackjack—original 2 cards dealt equal 21—or two or more cards which when summed have a value greater than the dealer's summed hand without surpassing a total value of 21. Each non-face card's value is equal to the number shown on the card. All face cards—King, Queen, Jack—are valued at 10. Aces have a value of one or 11. Thus, a Blackjack is obtained by receiving an Ace and either a Ten card or a face card as the first two cards dealt.

Additionally, the high number of cards valued at ten (16 cards in each standard deck) results in an increased chance of surpassing 21 if additional cards are requested.

The present game, based on Blackjack, played with the cards of the present invention, is called 21 or if the fifty cards of the deck of the present invention contains 5 suits, Five Color 21. As used herein the term “21” will refer to the game of 21, as described hereinbelow, using either the deck of 50 cards of the same suit or the deck of 50 card having 5 different suits. The term “Five Color 21” or like term will refer to the game of 21, as described herein, using the deck of 50 cards with the 5 different suits. All versions of Blackjack/21 disclosed herein can be played with one or more decks, e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 decks, or can even be played using a continuous shuffle shoe.

In 21, played with the cards of the present invention, either one or more decks of the 10 card un-suited deck or one or more decks of the 5 suit 50-card deck, game play is generally the same as in conventional Blackjack described above. However, several strategic considerations differ when using the cards of the present invention. The decks of the present invention have cards ranging from 2 to 10 and an Ace, which is valued as either a one or an eleven depending on the player's need. Consequently, a player using a single 50-card deck or 5 un-suited decks has less probability of getting blackjack than using a standard 52-card deck results in Blackjack 21.05% of the time.

Moreover, since the ratio of high value cards versus low value cards is significantly lower in the 50-card deck, a player and dealer have a better chance of drawing multiple additional cards without busting, i.e. surpassing 21. An additional related consideration is that a dealer will have a better chance at reaching a 17, after which the dealer is usually not allowed to draw additional cards, before busting as opposed to Blackjack played with a standard 52-card deck. Thus, certain conventional player strategies are no longer appropriate.

In an exemplar embodiment of Five Color 21 or 21, standard rules may be as follows:

-   -   1. Ace and 10 combination pays 2:1 and/or 3:1;     -   2. Dealer must hit on a soft 17 (i.e., a 17 in which an Ace is         counted as an 11);     -   3. 6 decks are used;     -   4. Player may split pairs once, but no re-splitting;     -   5. Split Aces receives only one additional card, Ace-10 after a         split is considered 21 not Blackjack for payout purposes;     -   6. Player may double down on any two cards, except after         splitting Aces;     -   7. No surrender allowed;     -   8. Player loses only original bet against dealer Blackjack.

In another embodiment, the rules of 21 are the same as above, except the dealer will hit if the sum of the values of the cards is 17 or less, and the dealer will stand if the sum of the values of the cards is 18.

In still another embodiment, the rules of 21 are the same as above, except that the dealer must hit if the sum of the values of the cards is 17 or less, and the dealer must stand if the sum of the value of the cards is 18, except that the dealer must hit on a soft 18 (where the card total is 18 with the ace being valued as 11.)

Other variations are also contemplated. For example, 21 may be played with one or more decks, for example, with more than or less than six decks, as long as at least one deck is used; for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 decks of fifty cards may be used to play 21.

In another variation, which is available in Five Color 21, there are side bet opportunities. For example, in a side bet, the player wagers that the player's first two cards are of the same color. An additional payout may be provided in the case where the dealer's up card also matches the color of the player's first two cards.

In an alternative side bet opportunity for Five-Color 21, a player may be provided with a chance, prior to cards being dealt, to select one of the five colors as the color that the player believes will be in the player's first two cards. In this version, a payout table may be set up that specifies percentage of side bet paid to the player if one card matches the selected color, or two cards match. As with the previous side bet scenario, a bonus may be paid out if the dealer's up card matches the player's selected color.

Table 1, below, shows a strategy table 300 optimized for standard Blackjack using a 52-card deck. As shown, the optimal strategy for players holding hard 4 through hard 8 is to request an additional card. Hard totals are card totals in which no Ace is present or if present, the Ace can only be counted as a one without busting the hand. As mentioned above, a soft total is a card total in which an Ace is present and able to be counted as an eleven without busting the hand. Player rows indicate a player's strategy when holding a hand with a soft total.

Table 2 shows optimized player strategy based on paired cards versus the dealer's up card.

In contrast, Table 3 and Table 4 show the optimized strategies for a player playing five color Blackjack. As can be seen, for hard totals the optimal strategy is to take an additional card for any hand totaling less than 17 regardless of the dealer's up card. Similarly, players should take, or hit, on any soft total less than 18. A Player should hit on a soft 18 as well, unless the dealer has a 7 showing.

Regarding Table 4, Players playing Five-Color Blackjack have less optimal opportunities for splitting paired cards and no optimal opportunity to double down.

TABLE 1 Strategy for 52-Card Deck H = Hit, S = Stand, Dealer Up Card Value D = Double 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace Player Card H4  H H H H H H H H H H Total H5  H H H H H H H H H H H signifies H6  H H H H H H H H H H Hard total, H7  H H H H H H H H H H and S signifies H8  H H H H H H H H H H Soft Total H9  H D D D D H H H H H H10 D D D D D D D D H H H11 D D D D D D D D D D H12 H H S S S H H H H H H13 S S S S S H H H H H H14 S S S S S H H H H H H15 S S S S S H H H H H H16 S S S S S H H H H H H17 S S S S S S S S S S H18 S S S S S S S S S S H19 S S S S S S S S S S H20 S S S S S S S S S S H21 S S S S S S S S S S S12 H H H H D H H H H H S13 H H H H D H H H H H S14 H H H D D H H H H H S15 H H D D D H H H H H S16 H H D D D H H H H H S17 H D D D D H H H H H S18 D D D D D S S H H H S19 S S S S D S S S S S S20 S S S S S S S S S S

TABLE 2 Strategy for Paired Cards Using 52-Card Deck H = Hit, S = Stand, Dealer Up Card Value X = Split, D = Double 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace Player Paired 2-2 X X X X X X H H H H Cards 3-3 X X X X X X H H H H 4-4 H H H X X H H H H H 5-5 D D D D D D D D H H 6-6 X X X X X H H H H H 7-7 X X X X X X H H H H 8-8 X X X X X X X X X X 9-9 X X X X X S X X S S 10-10 S S S S S S S S S S A-A X X X X X X X X X X

TABLE 3 Strategy for Five-Color Deck H = Hit, S = Stand, Dealer Up Card Value D = Double 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace Player Card H4  H H H H H H H H H H Total H5  H H H H H H H H H H H signifies H6  H H H H H H H H H H Hard total, H7  H H H H H H H H H H and S signifies H8  H H H H H H H H H H Soft Total H9  H H H H H H H H H H H10 H H H H H H H H H H H11 H H H H H H H H H H H12 H H H H H H H H H H H13 H H H H H H H H H H H14 H H H H H H H H H H H15 H H H H H H H H H H H16 H H H H H H H H H H H17 S S S S S S S S S H H18 S S S S S S S S S S H19 S S S S S S S S S S H20 S S S S S S S S S S H21 S S S S S S S S S S S12 H H H H H H H H H H S13 H H H H H H H H H H S14 H H H H H H H H H H S15 H H H H H H H H H H S16 H H H H H H H H H H S17 H H H H H H H H H H S18 H H H H H S H H H H S19 S S S S S S S S S S S20 S S S S S S S S S S

TABLE 4 Strategy for Paired Cards Using Five-Color Deck H = Hit, S = Stand, Dealer Up Card Value X = Split, D = Double 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ace Player Paired 2-2 H H H X X X X X X H Cards 3-3 X X X X X X X X X H 4-4 H H H H H X X H X H 5-5 H H H H H H H H H H 6-6 H H H H H H H H H H 7-7 H H H H H X H H H H 8-8 X X X X X X X X X H 9-9 S S S S S S S S S X 10-10 S S S S S S S S S S A-A H H H H H H H H H H

21 PLUS

21 PLUS is a variation of Blackjack/21 using a 5 color/suit 50 card deck, and which incorporates side bets, or wagers. As with all versions of Blackjack/21 disclosed herein, 21 PLUS can be played with one to eight decks, or can even be played using a continuous shuffle shoe.

In 21 PLUS, the rules outlined above for Blackjack apply. However, in addition to the wager placed on the outcome of the Blackjack hand, one or more wagers can be placed, at the player's discretion, on the total of the sum of the values of each of the cards of the player's first two dealt cards, wherein an ace may be counted as one or eleven.

To facilitate play of 21 PLUS a modified Blackjack table is provided, as shown in FIG. 3. The 21 PLUS game table 300 includes a main wager area 302 for each player position. The main wager area 302 is designated for placement of a wager on the outcome of the Blackjack hand. In addition to the main wager area 302, the 21 PLUS game table includes several side wager areas 304, 306 and 308 (also referred to as sub-areas herein below). Each of the side wager areas 304, 306 and 308 are assigned a card value range. For example, a first side wager area 304 is assigned the range of 2 through 10, a second side wager area 306 is assigned the range of 11 through 13, and a third side wager area 304 is assigned the range of 14 through 21.

Prior to being dealt any cards, a player is given the option to wager on the sum of the two cards being dealt. The player indicates his side wager by placing a number of tokens, chips, or money in one or more of the side wager areas 304, 306 and 308. The player wins the side wager if the sum of the two dealt cards is within the range designated for the side wager areas 304, 306 and 308 in which the player placed tokens. While three side wager areas 304, 306 and 308 are shown in FIG. 3, more or less side wager areas may be provided on the 21 PLUS game table 300 each having a unique range assigned thereto between 2 and 21.

A payout schedule 310 is also provided for the player's convenience showing the payout for each range. A similar payout table 312 is provided on the dealer's side of the table as well. For example the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 indicates that the range 2 through 10 pays out 1:1, 11 through 13 pays out 2:1, and 14-21 pays out 1:1. The payouts may be modified as desired by the casino in order to increase incentive to the player or house odds. Payouts may range from 1:2 to 5:2.

In the present embodiment, the player may count aces as either high or low for purposes of the side bets. For example, if the player bet on the 2-10 and 14-21, and then was dealt an ace and a 6, then both bets would win, because the hand could be scored as both a 7 and a 17.

The following analysis is provided for the game of 21 PLUS, which consists of three side bets that may be offered to the 5 Color 21 player: Over 13, Under 11, and 11-12-13.

In the analysis, it is assumed that the side wagers are made before any cards are dealt, and pay based on the value of the player's initial two-card hand. Aces may count as either 1 or 11 for these bets, as needed, except that a pair of Aces may not both count as 11 (because the resulting hand of 22 is a “bust” hand in 5 Color 21). Note that a player receiving Ace-10 (Blackjack) may count the Ace as 1 in order to win the 11-12-13 bet, even when the Ace is forced to count as 11 in the underlying 5 Color 21 game. The “Over 13” and “Under 11” bets each pay even money, and the “11-12-13” bet pays 2:1. Probabilities were calculated, and the results were obtained for return to player (RTP) and house edge, as shown in Table 5 below.

Additionally, a card-counting analysis was performed to determine if the player can gain any advantage against the casino. For a shoe with 6 or more decks, the advantage the player gains from card-counting becomes comparable to the House advantage in the underlying 5 Color 21 game after ⅔ of the shoe has been dealt, and significantly larger after ¾ of the shoe has been dealt. To avoid card counters gaining a significant advantage, casinos should either use a continuous shuffling machine, or use a shoe of 6 or more decks and shuffle between ⅔ and ¾ of the way through the shoe. If a shoe is used, the size of the side bets should be limited to no larger than the bet in the underlying 5 Color 21 game.

TABLE 5 21 PLUS Side Wager Analysis Odds Probability RTP House Edge Decks: 1 Under 11 1:1 0.448979592 89.80% 10.20% Over 13 1:1 0.440816327 88.16% 11.84% 11 to 13 2:1 0.302040816 90.61% 9.39% Decks: 2 Under 11 1:1 0.449494949 89.90% 10.10% Over 13 1:1 0.44040404 88.08% 11.92% 11 to 13 2:1 0.301010101 90.30% 9.70% Decks: 3 Under 11 1:1 0.44966443 89.93% 10.07% Over 13 1:1 0.440268456 88.05% 11.95% 11 to 13 2:1 0.300671141 90.20% 9.80% Decks: 4 Under 11 1:1 0.449748744 89.95% 10.05% Over 13 1:1 0.440201005 88.04% 11.96% 11 to 13 2:1 0.300502513 90.15% 9.85% Decks: 5 Under 11 1:1 0.449799197 89.96% 10.04% Over 13 1:1 0.440160643 88.03% 11.97% 11 to 13 2:1 0.300401606 90.12% 9.88% Decks: 6 Under 11 1:1 0.449832776 89.97% 10.03% Over 13 1:1 0.440133779 88.03% 11.97% 11 to 13 2:1 0.300334448 90.10% 9.90% Decks: 7 Under 11 1:1 0.449856734 89.97% 10.03% Over 13 1:1 0.440114613 88.02% 11.98% 11 to 13 2:1 0.300286533 90.09% 9.91% Decks: 8 Under 11 1:1 0.449874687 89.97% 10.03% Over 13 1:1 0.440100251 88.02% 11.98% 11 to 13 2:1 0.300250627 90.08% 9.92%

Color Match 21

FIG. 4 illustrates a game table 400 for playing Color Match 21 in accordance with the present invention. In Color Match 21, the main game is a version of Blackjack/21 using the 5 color 50 card deck described above. The rules for playing the main game is as described above as well. However, Color Match 21 provides players with a side wager opportunity in which the player wagers on the dealt cards are of the same color.

The game table 400 shown in FIG. 4 is not necessary to play Color Match 21, however the game table facilitates game play. Specifically, the game table 400 includes a main wager area 402 designated for each player to place a wager in the main Blackjack/21 hand. Additionally, a color match area 404 is provided to each player for placing a side wager on the cards dealt to the player having matching colors.

Further, the game table 400 also provides a payout schedule 406 for reference by each player and a second similar payout schedule for the dealer's convenience. In a first variation of the present embodiment, a player who place a color match side wager and receives two cards with matching color wins a payout of, for example, 3:1. In an alternative variation of the present embodiment, not only can a player win the side wager by receiving two cards of matching color, but additionally if the dealer's up card also matches the player's color, the player wins a larger payout of for example 7:1. Alternative payouts can be instituted instead of the exemplar color match payout of 3:1 and player-dealer color match of 7:1 described herein.

Because the color match side wager in the present embodiment offers a significantly higher payout ratio than a winning Blackjack hand, the casino may choose to limit the amount wagered in the color match side wager to no more than the amount bet in the main Blackjack hand, and more desirably to some fraction of the Blackjack wager. For example the casino can limit the side wager to no more than 1/7 of the Blackjack wager, such that if the player bets $700.00 in the Blackjack hand, the player is limited to betting no more than $100.00 in the color match side wager. Alternatively, the side wager limit can be ¼ of the Blackjack wager or any other fraction deemed appropriate by the casino.

The probability of a 2-card match is 9/49=18.367%; the probability of a 3-card match is 3/98=3.061%. Nine pay tables were analyzed, with the results shown in Table 6 below.

TABLE 6 Color Match 21 Side Wager Analysis Double Match Triple Match RTP House Edge PT1 Loss 30 94.90% 5.10% PT2 3 7 85.71% 14.29% PT3 3 8 88.78% 11.22% PT4 3 9 91.84% 8.16% PT5 3 10 94.90% 5.10% PT6 3 11 97.96% 2.04% PT7 4 4 91.84% 8.16% PT8 4 5 94.90% 5.10% PT9 4 6 97.96% 2.04%

Color-Pair Match 21

Another unique Blackjack game with side wagers using the 5 color 50 card deck of the present invention is Color-Pair Match 21. This embodiment combines both the side wagering opportunity of Color Match 21 described above, with an additional side wager on the whether the player's dealt cards are paired. The pair side wager pays if the player's first two cards are the same denomination. The probability of winning a pair side wager is 4/49=8.163%. As in an embodiment, if the bet is offered at 10:1 odds the bet has a Return to Player (RTP) of 89.80% and a house edge of 10.20%. In another embodiment, if the bet is offered at 11:1 odds, the bet has a RTP of 97.96% and a house edge of 2.04%.

In addition to providing a payout for a player that receives two cards of the same denomination, the game can be further modified to provide a larger payout if the dealer's up card has the same denomination as the player's first two cards, i.e., a triple match.

The Color-Pair Match 21, can be played on the game table depicted in FIG. 5. As with the Color Match 21 game table 400, the game table 500 of the present embodiment includes a main wager area 402 and a color match wager area 404. In addition, the game table 500 includes a pair match wager area 502 for each player position and a payout schedule 504, which describes the payouts for the color match and pair side wagers.

Poker

The five-suit 50-card deck of the present invention is also well suited for poker. Poker has a seemingly limitless number of variants ranging from traditional 5 and 7 card draw or stud poker to Texas Hold'em, Omaha and many more. The common theme that defines all these card games as poker is the poker hands. In conventional poker using a standard 52 card deck, the following hands are ranked in order from highest to lowest winning hand: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card. Certain variants are limited in the types of hands that can be attained, based on number of cards dealt and specific rules. However, the ranking of hands as listed above still apply. The Everything Card Games Book by Nikki Katz, Adams Media, 2004, incorporated herein by reference, provides rules for several popular poker variants. The World Series of Poker® Official Guidebook by Avery Cardoza and Dana Smith, Cardoza Publishing, 2010, incorporated herein by reference, also provides rules and strategies for various Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Draw, and Seven-Card Stud poker variants.

Royal Flush and Straight Flush are essentially the same hand; each is constructed of five cards in ascending numerical order, where each card is of the same suit. However, while a Straight Flush can start from any card value, a Royal Flush is defined as 10-Jack-Queen-King-Ace. Thus, a Royal Flush is the highest possible straight flush.

As its name implies, a Four of a Kind is constructed of four cards having identical numerical value. The fifth card may be of any other card value. A Full House is constructed of three cards of identical value and two cards of identical value different from the value of the three cards. A Flush is any hand in which all five cards are of the same suit. The values of the cards are unimportant. A Straight is constructed of any five cards, regardless of suit arranged in contiguous ascending order of value. The suit is unimportant in a Straight. Three of a Kind is any three cards of identical value, with the remaining two cards being of arbitrary values different from each other. Two Pair are two sets of pairs of different values, with the fifth card being of a value different from the values of the pairs. One Pair is a hand formed from two cards having identical values; the remaining cards are of arbitrary values. High Card is the lowest winning hand. The High Card is merely the highest valued card in a hand in which no other hands can be made. In other words, all the cards of a High Card hand are of arbitrary values and suits without pairs or numerically contiguous.

Table 7 shows the frequency and probability of each hand in a 5 card poker game using a standard 52 card deck.

TABLE 7 5-Card Poker Ranks and Probability for 52-Card Deck Hand Frequency Probability Royal Flush 4 0.00015% Straight Flush 36 0.00138% Four of a Kind 624 0.02401% Full House 3,744 0.14405% Flush 5,108 0.19654% Straight 10,200 0.39246% Three of a Kind 54,912 2.11285% 2 Pair 123,552 4.75390% Pair 1,098,240 42.25690% High Card 1,302,540 50.11774%

Table 8 shows the frequency and probability of each hand in a best 5 of 7 cards poker game using a standard 52-card deck. Of course, various versions of poker include wild cards that often skew the probabilities from those listed in Tables 5 and 6. However, these are the probabilities when playing the most conventional versions of poker.

TABLE 8 7-Card Poker Ranks and Probability for 52-Card Deck Hand Frequency Probability Royal Flush 4,324 0.00323% Straight Flush 37,260 0.02785% Four of a Kind 224,848 0.16807% Full House 3,473,184 2.59610% Flush 4,047,644 3.02549% Straight 6,180,020 4.61938% Three of a Kind 6,461,620 4.82987% 2 Pair 31,433,400 23.49554% Pair 58,627,800 43.82255% High Card 23,294,460 17.41192%

Poker is played by a number of players and a dealer. The dealer may or may not also be a player. The dealer deals a number of cards to each player, where the number of cards dealt and order is determined by the particular rules of the poker variant being played. One or more rounds of betting occur at predetermined points during the game as determined by the particular rules. In some variants of poker, a player may be allowed to turn in a subset of cards in exchange for replacement cards in the hope of bettering the player's hand. Once all rounds of betting are completed, a winning player is determined based on the above listed poker hand rankings. The winning determination is generally verified by the dealer. However, in many variants, it is the obligation of the individual player to determine the highest hand achieved by the player's cards.

It is noted that poker is generally played using a single deck of cards and the present invention is no different in this respect. However, alternative embodiments of the present invention may utilize multiple decks of cards. Using multiple decks of cards will alter the probabilities for acquiring a particular hand. Additionally, poker is generally played by forming the best possible hand with 5 cards, even when seven cards are dealt to each player. However, alternative poker variants may be possible with cards of the present invention which allow for 7 card hands rather than the traditional 5 card hands.

A description will now be provided for winning poker hands available with a five-suit (i.e., color) 50-card deck of the present invention. The majority of the poker hands remain the same as with the standard 52-card deck. However, the ranking of the hands change and additional hands are provided.

Since the five-suit 50-card deck does not have face cards, the Royal Flush is no longer possible. Instead, the highest poker hand in the present embodiment is Five of a Kind in which all five cards are of the same value and all five suits are represented. The Straight Flush remains the second highest suit. The Flush however is moved to third highest, followed by Four of a Kind, Full House, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card. The table in Table 9 shows the probabilities of having each hand in the present embodiment in a 5-card poker game.

TABLE 9 5-Card Poker Ranks and Probability for 5-Color 50-Card Deck Hand Frequency Probability Five of a Kind 10 0.00047% Straight Flush 35 0.00165% Flush 1,225 0.05782% Four of a Kind 2,250 0.10619% Full House 9,000 0.42478% Straight 21,840 1.03079% Three of a Kind 90,000 4.24777% 2 Pair 180,000 8.49554% Pair 1,050,000 49.55729% High Card 764,000 36.07771%

Table 10 shows the probabilities of having each hand in the present embodiment in a best 5 out 7-card poker game.

TABLE 10 Five Color Poker and Probability of best 5 of 7 cards ranks for 5-color 50 card Deck Rank (best 5 of 7) Frequency Probability Five of a Kind 9900 0.00991% Straight Flush 33330 0.03337% Four of a Kind 709500 0.71032% Flush 992070 0.99322% Full House 6840000 6.84792% Three of a Kind 7619500 7.62832% Straight 9956100 9.96762% Two Pair 34629000 34.66908% One Pair 33448800 33.48751% No Pair 5646200 5.65273% Total 99884400 100.00000%%

Table 11 provides pay tables for 5-card poker of the present invention, and Table 12 shows the same for 7-card poker.

TABLE 11 5-Card Poker Pay Tables for 5-Color 50-Card Deck Hand Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Five of a Kind 1000 2000 1000 1000 500 500 Straight Flush 500 1000 500 500 100 100 Flush 100 200 100 200 30 30 Four of a Kind 50 100 50 100 20 20 Full House 25 20 25 25 10 10 Straight 10 10 10 10 5 5 Three of a Kind 5 5 5 4 3 2 2 Pair 2 2 3 2 1 1 Pair −1 −1 −1 −1 0 0 High Card −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 RTP 85.9116% 96.1770% 94.4071% 92.7552% 98.8224% 94.5747%

TABLE 12 7-Card Poker Pay Tables for 5-Color 50-Card Deck Hand Table 1 Table 2 Table 3 Table 4 Table 5 Table 6 Five of a Kind 1000 2000 1000 1000 500 500 Straight Flush 500 1000 500 500 100 100 Flush 100 200 100 200 30 30 Four of a Kind 50 100 50 100 20 20 Full House 25 20 25 25 10 10 Straight 10 10 10 10 5 5 Three of a Kind 5 5 5 4 3 2 2 Pair 2 2 3 2 1 1 Pair −1 −1 −1 −1 0 0 High Card −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 RTP 85.9116% 96.1770% 94.4071% 92.7552% 98.8224% 94.5747%

In a variation of poker in accordance with the present invention, side bets may be placed on whether a player has a Rainbow. Alternatively, a payout bonus may be provided if the winning hand is a Rainbow. In the context of the present embodiment, a Rainbow is a hand in which all five suits, or colors, are represented. Five of a Kind is intrinsically a Rainbow hand while, Straight Flush and Flush can never be a Rainbow.

An additional variation of the winning poker hands in the present embodiment is color-ordered hands. In color-ordered hands, the higher denomination cards making up the hands listed above are of a higher ranked suit versus the lower valued cards in the hand. The probabilities for achieving Rainbow and color-ordered hands are shown in Table 13.

TABLE 13 Ranks and Probability for Rainbow and Color-Ordered Hands Rainbow Prob- Color-Ordered Prob- Hand Frequency ability Frequency ability Five of a Kind 10 0.00047% 10 0.00047% Straight Flush 0     0% 0     0% Flush 0     0% 0     0% Four of a Kind 450 0.02124% 90 0.00425% Full House 900 0.042488%  90 0.00425% Straight 840 0.03965% 7 0.00033% Three of a Kind 7,200 0.33982% 360 0.01699% 2 Pair 10,800 0.50973% 360 0.01699% Pair 50,400 2.37875% 840 0.03965% High Card 29,400 1.38760% 245 0.01156%

The present embodiment and the alternative variants described above can be applied to almost any popular version of poker. However, in certain poker variants, rules may need to be modified in a manner apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, based on the above disclosure.

Moreover, it should be noted that the paytables provided in Tables 9 and 10 are applicable in poker variants in which player skill, strategy and bluffing are not involved, such as a player versus paytable (i.e., dealer) game.

With respect to variants of Poker, the 50-card deck of the present invention includes one or more auxiliary cards (Jokers) which can be used as dictated by the rules of the individual Poker variant. For example, the Joker may be designated as a Wild Card in which the player holding the Joker can select the rank and suit represented by the Joker in order to yield a higher ranked hand. Alternatively, other attributes may be associated to the Joker in Poker variants that use Jokers as well.

The five-suit 50-card poker variations and side bets may be implemented as casino table games, slot machine games, and computer/Internet poker games. Such implementations of poker games are within the capabilities of one of ordinary skill in the art based on the disclosure provided herein.

In an embodiment of poker played with the cards of the present invention, the 5 suits may be ranked such that, for example a red suit may be considered of higher value than a similar card of a blue suit, and so on for all five suits. This color ranking may come in to play when multiple hands are identical except for the suit color.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a popular casino card game involving a “Banker” and a number of players. The Banker may be selected from among the players. Generally, Baccarat is played using 4, 6, 8, or more decks of 52 cards.

In Baccarat, cards 2-9 are worth face value, 10s and J, Q K are worth zero, and Aces are worth 1 point. The score of a hand is the sum of all cards modulo 10, which is equivalent to the rightmost digit in the sum. For example, a hand consisting of 2 and 3 is worth 5, but a hand consisting of 6 and 7 is worth 3. A hand consisting of 4, 6 and 10 is worth zero, or Baccarat. The best possible score is 9. The word “Baccarat” is used in place of zero within the game, to refer to zero-valued cards and hands.

Three major variants of Baccarat are played throughout the world. They are: Punto Banco (or North American Baccarat), Baccarat Chemin de Fer, and Baccarat Banque. Punto Banco does not allow for skill. Rather a player's playing decisions are determined exclusively by the cards dealt. The player decides only on where to place a bet—Player Bet, Banker Bet or Tie Bet.

The Player Bet wins even money when the player wins, loses when the Banker wins, and pushes when the player and Banker tie. The Banker Bet wins 19:20—even money minus a 5% commission, so $10 bet wins $19.50—when the Banker wins, loses when the player wins, and pushes when the player and Banker tie. The Tie Bet pays 8:1 only when the player and Banker tie, otherwise the Tie Bet loses.

Generally, the rules for dealing a third card in Punto Banco Baccarat are as follows:

-   -   1. If either the player's initial 2-card hand or the Banker's         initial 2-card hand has a total of 8 or 9, neither hand gets a         third card;     -   2. Otherwise the player is given a third card if the player has         a total of 5 or less, and gets no third card with a total of 6         or 7;     -   3. If the player starts with 6 or 7 and the Banker starts with a         total of 5 or less, the Banker hits for a third card, otherwise         the Banker stands on two cards; and     -   4. If the player took a third card, the Banker takes a third         card or stands on two cards depending on the value of the third         card dealt to the player according to the table shown in Table         14.

TABLE 14 Third Card Rules for Banker When Player Receives Third Card Banker Player's Third Card Score 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand 6 Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand Stand Hit Hit Stand Stand 5 Stand Stand Stand Stand Hit Hit Hit Hit Stand Stand 4 Stand Stand Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Stand Stand 3 Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Stand Hit 2 Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit 1 Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit 0 Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit Hit

50-card Baccarat is played in much the same way as traditional C. In 50-card Baccarat, one or more decks, e.g., 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more, decks of the 5-suit 50-card deck of the present invention is used. However, as shown in the table of FIG. 15, odds for Player Bet, Banker Bet and Tie Bet are altered when using the 5-suit 50-card deck of the present invention versus the standard 52-card deck.

TABLE 15 House Edge for Punto Banco Baccarat Versus Five-Color Baccarat Number Deck Type of Decks Player Bet Banker Bet 8:1 Tie Bet Standard 52-Card 4 1.24211% 1.05169% 14.59164% Standard 52-Card 6 1.23741% 1.05585% 14.43816% Standard 52-Card 8 1.23508% 1.05791% 14.35963% Five Color 4 1.27064% 1.00727% 8.61252% Five Color 6 1.26709% 1.01070% 8.59874% Five Color 8 1.26531% 1.01241% 8.59045%

As shown, the most significant change in odds is to the Tie Bet with an almost 6% reduction in House edge over Tie Bets with a standard deck. Thus, placing Tie Bets become more favorable to the player. However, the most favorable bet remains the Banker Bet.

Alternatively, Baccarat can be played with between 20 and 40 decks, or more, of un-suited 10-card decks of the present invention. In this case, the odds correspond to 50-card Baccarat as shown in FIG. 15 as well.

When 50-card Baccarat is played with the 5-color 50-card deck of the present invention, side-betting opportunities can be integrated into the game. For example, prior to a player or Banker receiving a third card, bets can be placed on the color of the third card. The side bet opportunities may be made available to spectators as well as players. The payout for winning side bets may be determined, and posted beforehand, by the House (i.e., Casino) and range from a fractional percentage of the original side bet to even money.

Alternatively, the winning side betters split the side bet pot. In the embodiment where the side bet pot is split amongst the side bet winners, the House may not lose any of its own money. In this embodiment, if no winner occurs, the side bet pot may be lost to the house, or may remain for the next hand, as determined by House rules.

In addition to Baccarat, Blackjack and Poker, the deck of cards of the present invention can be used to play other popular card games, such as Rummy and Bridge, among others, with the rules being modified accordingly to accommodate a 50 card deck. Card games described in The Everything Card Games Book and The Complete Book of Card Games can be readily modified to be played using the deck of cards of the present invention.

Further, the following embodiments are examples of unique games combining poker and 21 that can be played with the 5 color 50 card deck of the present invention.

Bonus Poker 21

Bonus Poker 21 is a blackjack/21 variation in which a side wager is offered based on a Texas Hold'em style of poker. The Poker side wagers are optional.

The game of the present embodiment will be described below by way of the specific rules for playing the game with reference to FIG. 6 showing a game table 600 configured to facilitate playing of Bonus Poker 21. As the player makes his blackjack/21 wager by placing an amount to wager on the main wager area 602, the player may also wager on a Poker hand by placing an amount to wager on the Poker wager area 604.

In single deck Bonus Poker 21, the dealer deals out the round. In another embodiment, the dealer may burn the first card prior to dealing out the round. After the player/players and dealer receive their first two cards, the dealer deals the flop (3 cards onto the flop area 606). As noted above, in another embodiment the dealer may burn the first card before dealing the flop as well. The three flop cards are community cards used with the player's first two cards to create a 5 card Poker hand. Payouts vary based on rank of high and low hands as indicated in the payout schedule 608 provided on the game table 600. When using one deck, the dealer shuffles after every round of Bonus Poker 21. Bonus Poker 21 can be played with between 1 and 6 players.

In order to participate in the Poker side wager, a player must first wager at least the minimum wager on their blackjack/21 hand. Side bets are optional for the players to bet whenever they want. Once all the blackjack/21 bets and side bets are made, then the dealer begins dealing the round of cards, each player will get their first card then the dealer will get his first card. The dealer next provides a second card to each player. Then the dealer will get his second card. This follows the regular blackjack/21 dealing process. The dealer proceeds with burning a card and dealing out the three card flop in the flop area 606, in the center of the game table 600.

When all the players participating in the poker side wager place their respective poker wagers, the dealer deals 3 community cards face up, and each player who made the Poker bet is paid according to the Poker hand formed by his first 2 cards and the 3 community cards. Odds in table 16 below are shown on a “to 1” basis—players with a hand of 2 pairs or better receive their initial wager back along with the indicated payout in table 16. Six paytables were analyzed in accordance with the present invention, and are among the embodiments of the present invention. However, the paytables shown in table 16 should be considered as illustrative examples, and not intended to be the sole implementations of the present invention. Other appropriate paytables may be devised as necessary.

Note that the hand ranks shown are different from the ones for standard Poker played with a 52-card deck of 4 suits; in 5 Color Poker, flushes (5 cards same color) occur much more rarely and therefore outrank Full House and 4 of a Kind hands. Because the top payout is so large, the amount of the Poker side bet is desirably restricted to $1.00.

TABLE 16 Bonus Poker 21 Paytables Hand type Frequency Probability A B C D E F 5 of a kind 10 0.0005% 10000 5000 5000 5000 5000 10000 traight Flush 35 0.0017% 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 1000 Flush 1225 0.0578% 100 100 100 100 50 50 4 of a kind 2250 0.1062% 50 50 40 40 40 30 Full House 9000 0.4248% 30 20 15 20 30 20 Straight 21840 1.0308% 10 10 10 10 20 10 3 of a kind 90000 4.2478% 5 5 6 6 5 5 2 pair 180000 8.4955% 2 3 3 2 2 3 1 pair 1050000 49.5573% −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 Nothing 764400 36.0777% −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 RTP 93.437% 95.185% 96.246% 89.875% 97.293% 92.671% House Edge 6.563% 4.815% 3.754% 10.125% 2.707% 7.330%

Bonus Color Match Poker 21

Bonus Color Match Poker 21 is a Blackjack/21 having a side wager in which the player may make one wager on the color match of their first two cards as described previously in the Color Match 21 embodiment, and one wager on a Poker hand. In addition, if the first two cards dealt to the player are the same color, and the dealers up card is the same color this will pay extra.

As the player makes their Blackjack/21 wager, the player may also bet on the color match side wager by placing chips on the color match wager area 802 of FIG. 8. The color match side wager pays based on the color of the players first two cards and/or dealers up card. For example, a color match bet may pay 3:1 or 4:1, and a color/dealer match pays 7:1 if the player two cards match the color that was betted on by the player and in addition if the dealer's up card is the same color.

In addition to the color match wager, the player may place a wager on a poker hand by placing chips on the Poker wager area 804. During the play of the poker side wager, the dealer optionally burns the first card and deals out the round. After the player/players and dealer receives their first two cards, the dealer optionally burns the next card and deals the flop (3 cards placed in the flop area 806) from the same deck. The three flop cards are community cards used with the player's first two cards to create a 5 card Poker hand. Payouts vary based on the rank of high and low hands and in accordance with a posted payout table. The dealer shuffles after every round of Bonus Color Match Poker 21. The present embodiment can be played by 1 to 7 players. Table 16 above shows example payout tables for the Poker side wager.

Bonus Color-Pair Match Poker 21

Bonus Color/Pair Match Poker 21 is a blackjack/21 variation which combines the above-described Color-Pair Match 21 embodiment with an additional side wager on a player's Poker hand. Side bets are optional.

Play of the Bonus Color-Pair Match Poker 21 is facilitated by the game table 900 shown in FIG. 9. The game table 900 includes a color match wager area 902, a pair match wager area 904 and a Poker wager area 906 in addition to the main wager area 908. Additionally, the game table 900 includes a flop area 910 designated to receive the three community poker cards.

The rules and payouts are as described above in the Color-Pair Match 21 and Bonus Poker 21 embodiments.

Bonus 5 Color Poker 21

Bonus 5 Color Poker 21 is a blackjack/21 variation in which a side wager is offered. In addition to the blackjack/21 wager, the player may make a wager on one or more of the 5 color side bets (for example, black, red, blue, gold, green). Another side bet can be made by wagering on the player's poker hand. Side bets are optional.

The game of the present embodiment will be described below by way of the specific rules for playing the game with reference to FIG. 7 showing a game table 700 configured to facilitate playing of Bonus 5 Color Poker 21. As the player makes his blackjack/21 wager in the main wager area 710, the player may also wager on the 5 color side wagers by placing a wager on one or more of the five color wager areas 702 a, 702 b, 702 c, 702 d and 702 e (hereinafter, collectively referenced as color wager areas 702). Wagers on the color wager areas 702 pay based on the color of the player's first two cards and/or dealers up card.

Each wager pays depending on how many of the initial two player cards and the dealer's up card have the chosen color. The following probabilities in table 17 were determined using combinatorial mathematics to illustrate the probability of various outcomes of the 5 Color wager:

TABLE 17 5 Color Probabilities player dealer probability Odds: 1 2 1 0.00612245 162.3333 2 0 0.03061224 31.66667 1 1 0.06122449 15.33333 1 0 0.26530612 2.769231 0 1 0.13265306 6.538462 0 0 0.50408163 0.983806

Based on the above probabilities, a casino can provide payout ratios for 1, 2 and 3 color matches commensurate with the difficulty in attaining the number of matches and the desired return to player. Different payout ratios may be specified if the one match is in the player's hand or in the dealer's hand.

In addition to the color match side wager, Bonus 5 Color Poker 21 also includes a Poker side wager. The Poker side wager is limited to an amount less than the wager placed on the Blackjack hand in the main wager area 710. Participation in the Poker side wager is indicated by a player placing a chip, token or currency on the Poker wager area 708. The wager may be limited to single amount, for example $1.00.

Dealers in Bonus 5 Color Poker 21 are instructed as follows. In single deck Bonus 5 Color Poker 21, the dealer optionally burns the first card and deals out the round. After the player/players and dealer receive their first two cards (only one dealer card is dealt face up), the dealer optionally burns the next card and deals the flop (3 cards onto the flop area 704). Payouts vary based on the rank of high and low hands as indicated in the payout schedule 706 provided on the game table 700. When using one deck, the dealer shuffles after every round of bonus 5 Color Poker 21. Bonus 5 Color Poker 21 can be played with between 1 and 6 players.

In order to participate in the Poker side wager, a player must first wager at least the minimum wager on their blackjack/21 hand. Side bets are optional for the players to bet whenever they want. Once all the blackjack/21 bets and side bet are made, then the dealer begins dealing the round of cards, each player will get their first card, then the dealer will get his first card. As noted above, in alternative embodiments, the dealer may burn a first card before dealing the round. The dealer next provides a second card to each player. Then the dealer will get his second card. This follows the regular blackjack/21 dealing process. The dealer proceeds with optionally burning a card, and then dealing out the three card flop in the flop area 704, in the center of the game table 700.

As in the other Blackjack/21 variations described above, the side bets are limited to no more than the player's main wager, and more desirably the side wagers are limited to ½of the amount wagered on the blackjack hand. Alternatively, the Poker side wager may be limited to $1.00 only.

Minimum and Maximum Table Limits on the Color Side Bets are to be determined by which version of the game is being played, and the corresponding charts of the odds and payouts. Odds and house edges for “Poker Bet” and “Color Bet” side bets for “Bonus 5 Color Poker 21” are discussed below.

The game of “Bonus 5 Color Poker 21” is played with a 50-card “5 Color deck” containing the card denominations Ace through 10 in each of 5 colors. The “Poker Bet” and “Color Bet” are optional side bets that may be offered to the player. In one embodiment of the present invention, the side bets are only available to the player when a freshly shuffled deck is being dealt.

The first side bet that is offered is the “Poker” bet. When this bet is made, the dealer deals 3 community cards face up at the conclusion of the 5 color 21 hand, and each player who made the Poker bet is paid according to the 5 Color Poker hand formed by his first 2 cards and the 3 community cards. Odds in the table below are shown on a “to 1” basis—players with a hand of 2 pairs or better receive their initial wager back along with the indicated payout in table 16. Six paytables were analyzed, and are among the embodiments of the present invention.

Note that the hand ranks shown are different from the ones for standard Poker played with a 52-card deck of 4 suits; in 5 Color Poker, flushes (5 cards same color) occur much more rarely and therefore outrank Full House and 4 of a Kind hands. Because the top payout is so large, the amount of the Poker side bet is desirably restricted to $1.00.

Twenty-seven paytables were analyzed for the 5 color match side wager. All payouts are shown on a “to 1” basis: −1 is a loss, 0 is a push, 1 is an even money payout, 1.5 is a 3 to 2 payout, 2 is a 2 to 1 payout, and so on.

None of the paytables, shown in table 18, has different payouts for all 6 situations, except paytable Z which pays 100% and is shown for illustration only. In an actual table display, fewer rows will be shown because identical payout situations will be combined, according to the following guidelines:

Paytables C, I, J, M, N, O, T ignore dealer up card Paytables A, B, K, L use dealer up card only if player has 2 color cards already Paytables D, E, F, G, H, P, Q, R, S use dealer up card if player has 1 or 2 color cards Paytables U, V, W, X, Y, Z, AA count dealer up card even if player has 0 color cards Paytables A, D, U, V, W, AA depend only on how may color cards there are ignoring player-dealer differences.

The results for each paytable are unchanged no matter how the player divides his betting between the 5 colors.

TABLE 18 5 Color Side Wager Paytables Cards which match color A B C D E F G 2 player cards + up card 150 50 25 50 30 40 8 2 player cards −1 20 25 5 10 10 8 1 player card + up card −1 −1 −1 5 5 5 8 1 player card −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 Up card only −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 no cards −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 Win/Loss −0.07551 −0.0449 −0.0449 −0.13673 −0.10612 −0.0449 −0.11837 House Edge 7.551% 4.490% 4.490% 13.673% 10.612% 4.490% 11.837% Return to Player 92.449% 95.510% 95.510% 86.327% 89.388% 95.510% 88.163% Cards which match color H I J K L M N 2 player cards + up card 9 15 5 15 20 6 7 2 player cards 9 15 5 5 5 6 7 1 player card + up card 9 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 player card −1 0 1 1 1 1 1 Up card only −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 No cards −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 Win/Loss −0.02041 −0.08571 −0.12653 −0.06531 −0.03469 −0.0898 −0.05306 House Edge 2.041% 8.571% 12.653% 6.531% 3.469% 8.980% 5.306% Return to Player 97.959% 91.429% 87.347% 93.469% 96.531% 91.020% 94.694% Cards which match color O P Q R S T U 2 player cards + up card 8 4 10 5 6 1.5 20 2 player cards 8 3 5 3 4 1.5 3 1 player card + up card 1 2 2 3 3 1.5 3 1 player card 1 1 1 1 1 1.5 0 Up card only −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 0 No cards −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 Win/Loss −0.01633 −0.13265 −0.03469 −0.06531 −0.02857 −0.09184 −0.10612 House Edge 1.633% 13.265% 3.469% 6.531% 2.857% 9.184% 10.612% Return to Player 98.367% 86.735% 96.531% 93.469% 97.143% 90.816% 89.388% Cards which match color V W X Y Z AA 2 player cards + up card 10 5 3 3 4 1 2 player cards 4 5 2 2 3 1 1 player card + up card 4 5 1 2 2 1 1 player card 0 0 1 1 1 1 Up card only 0 0 0 0 0 1 No cards −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 −1 Win/Loss −0.07551 −0.01429 −0.09796 −0.03673 0 −0.00816 House Edge 7.551% 1.429% 9.796% 3.673% 0.000% 0.816% Return to Player 92.449% 98.571% 90.204% 96.327% 100.00% 99.184%

In the games described hereinabove, 1 deck of the 50 card deck or more decks of the 50 card deck can be utilized to play the various games described herein. In the poker game, in one embodiment, only one deck is used, while in other embodiments 2,3, or 4 decks may be used. In baccarat, in an embodiment, one deck of the 50 card deck may be used, while in other embodiments, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 decks may be used. In the various 21 or blackjack games and variations described herein using the 50 card deck, in an embodiment, one deck may be used, while in other embodiments, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 decks may be used. As described hereinabove, the 10-card deck may be used in the various 21 or blackjack games and variations; however, if used at least five decks of the 10-card deck is used. But, if more than 50 cards in the 10-deck cards are use, any number of additional 10-deck cards may be used, e.g., 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 or more of the 10-deck cards may be used.

It is to be understood that the payouts described herein, either in the text of the specification or in the tables, are based on the probabilities of obtaining a specific hand, and are approximate. By definition, payout refers to the amount owed to the player for a winning hand in any of the games identified. If there is no money coming from the banker, then it is not considered a payout. The banker, whether it be a casino or other entity, is free to set the payouts to the player for a particular hand for a particular game to whatever value that it wants. However, making the payout too low for particular hands may discourage players from playing a game, while making the payout values too high may result in the Banker losing money on the game. Thus, the payouts described herein are the preferred payouts, with the understanding that the numerator of the payouts may vary plus or minus 1, and the denominators may vary plus or minus 1. However, the goal is to make the payouts for a particular hand to be easy to calculate. Thus, for example, the denominator is preferably 1 or 2. Moreover, the payout should be a whole number, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and the like or a multiple of ½, such as 3/2, 5/2, 7/2, 9/2, 11/2 and the like. However, the lowest payout for any winning hand, as determined by the game played, cannot be less than 1:1. If there is a loss, the player loses his or her bet. If it is not a loss or win, such as a 0 in the tables hereinabove, then it is a push, and the player doe not lose any money and the banker does not make any money on the particular hand, that is, there is no net gain or loss for either the player or the banker for the particular hand.

Although not specified, with respect to any of the poker games, additional variations may be employed if auxiliary cards which act as jokers may be employed, just as tin the corresponding poker games with a 52-card deck, and these games are also contemplated by the present invention.

Nevertheless, in embodiments described herein, it is contemplated that the full 50-card deck or 10-card deck be utilized in the games, and not a portion thereof.

The present invention is not restricted to playing cards. It is more broadly directed to a collection of playing pieces suitable for use like cards in a multitude of games and characterized by color and value. Besides cards, tiles or similar playing pieces (actual or simulated on a computer video game console or other electronic device) are encompassed by the present invention.

Moreover, these games can be played electronically, for example, on a computer. Thus, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a system, which comprises a program adapted to allow a plurality of players to compete against one another using the 50 card deck of the present invention. Each player is provided a screen with the same hand of face up card at the same time, and the rules are fashioned on the rules of game play as described herein using conventional techniques so that the game can be played via the Internet using a computer screen and a keyboard in communication with the computer screen. The screen and keyboard could be a machine or part thereof in which a plurality thereof are disposed at one location so that all of the players are in the same proximity (e.g., at a gaming facility) or a combination of the above.

A wide variety of electronic embodiments are possible. Examples of additional alternatives for the display include where the screen is part of a television set, a personal digital assistant, an electronic game, or cell phone. Moreover, the screen may be configured to show the hand for one or more players.

For example, in blackjack, the screen may be configured to show the hands of the other players as well as the player's own hand and one card for the dealer. In poker, the screen may show the hand of the player and the cards face up of the other players. In baccarat, the screen may show the cards of the other players. In a different embodiment, the cards of one player may be shown face up, while the cards of the other players may be shown face down. The electronic game can be set up so that the player plays against the computer. In addition, the electronic game can be configured to track the betting and amount of money in each player's possession.

The described embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative rather than restrictive, and are not intended to represent every embodiment of the present invention. Various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims both literally and in equivalents recognized in law. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for playing poker using a 5-suit 50-card deck of cards, marked from 2 to ten and an ace, the method comprising: dealing a plurality of cards to each player; collecting bets placed on the outcome of a round play; and verifying a winning player based on each player's five card hand selected from: five of a kind created from five cards having identical values, each card being of one of 5 suits, straight flush created from five cards in ascending numerical order, the five cards being of the same suit, flush created from five cards of the same suit, four of a kind created from four cards having identical values, each card being of one of 5 suits, the fifth card having any other arbitrary card value, full house created from three cards having identical values and two cards having identical values different from the value of the three cards, each card being of one of 5 suits, straight created from five cards in ascending numerical order, at least one card being of a different suit, three of a kind created from three cards having identical values, each card being of one of 5 suits, the remaining two cards having any other arbitrary values, two pair created from a first set of two cards having identical values, and a second set of two cards having identical values different from the value of the first set of two cards, the remaining card having any other arbitrary value, one pair created from a set of two cards having identical values, the remaining three cards having any other arbitrary value, and high card created by selecting the highest valued card from among the five card hand, the five cards not capable of forming any other 5 card hand.
 2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said five card hand is created from only five cards dealt to each player.
 3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the probabilities of achieving: five of a kind is 0.00047%; straight flush is 0.00165%; flush is 0.05782%; four of a kind is 0.10619%; full house is 0.42478%; straight is 1.03079%; three of a kind is 4.24777%; two pair is 8.49554%; one pair is 49.55729%; and high card is 36.07771%.
 4. The method as in claim 1, wherein said five card hand is created from seven cards dealt to each player.
 5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the probabilities of achieving: five of a kind is 0.00991%; straight flush is 0.03337%; four of a kind is 0.71032%; flush is 0.99322%; full house is 6.84792%; three of a kind is 7.62832%; straight is 9.96762%; two pair is 34.66908%; one pair is 33.48751%; and high card is 5.65273%.
 6. The method as in claim 1, wherein the variant of poker played is 5-card draw poker.
 7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the variant of poker played is 7-card stud poker.
 8. The method as in claim 1, wherein the variant of poker played is Texas Hold'em poker.
 9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the variant of poker played is Omaha poker.
 10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the 5 suits are identified by 5 unique colors, each color being assigned to a respective one of the five suits.
 11. A method of playing Blackjack using a 50-card deck of cards having 5 suits, each suit having 10 cards ranked from 2 through 10 and an Ace, the method comprising: having at least one player place a first wager to participate in the blackjack game using the card deck of the present invention, wherein the outcome of the wager is determined by conventional play and the payout determined from the probability of obtaining a winning hand using a card deck containing 50 cards numbered from 2 through 10 and an ace.
 12. A method for playing Baccarat using a 50-card deck of cards having 5 suits, each suit having 10 cards ranked from 2 through 10 and an Ace, the method comprising: (a) dealing two cards comprising the Bank hand and the Player hand according to conventional manner of play of baccarat using a 50 card deck comprised of five of each card numbered from 2 to 10 and five aces; (b) adding the last digit of each card in each hand where a ten is counted as 0 and an ace is counted as 1; (c) determining the sum total of each hand and comparing the sums of each hand, with the hand having the higher value winning and if the sums are the same in both hands, then it is considered a draw; and (d) making a bet prior to dealing the cards in one of the three outcomes: (i) player hand winning—pays even money or loses if Banker hand wins and pushes if hands are tied; (ii) Banker hand winning—pays even money less commission to the Bank, loses if player hand wins and pushes if there is a tie; iii) Player and banker hands tie—pays out at odds significantly greater than 1:1, and loses if either player wins, wherein the probability of winning a Tie Bet is significantly greater using at least one 50 card deck than using the same number of decks using a 52-card deck.
 13. The method according to claim 12, where the payout in step d if the player bets that the player and bank tie is 8:1.
 14. A deck of playing cards comprised of 50 cards, having 5 suits of 10 different ranking cards in each suit, wherein the ranking cards in each suit increment from 2 through 10, respectively and an ace.
 15. A deck of playing cards comprised of 50 cards, having 1 suit and five sets of 10 different ranking cards, wherein the ranking cards in each set increment from 2 through 10, respectively and an ace.
 16. The deck of playing cards according to claim 14 additionally comprising one or two auxiliary cards.
 17. The deck of playing cards according to claim 15 additionally comprising one or two auxiliary cards.
 18. A method for playing a variant of Blackjack/21, comprising: providing one or more side wager options to a player prior to dealing a pair of cards to each player; evaluating the results of each of the one or more side wagers in turn; and providing a winning player with a payout based on a published payout schedule corresponding to the one or more side wagers.
 19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the one or more side wager options are one or more of color matching, pair matching, and poker.
 20. A Blackjack/21 game table, comprising: one or more player stations, each player station comprising a main wager area, and a first side wager area.
 21. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 20, wherein the first side wager area is assigned to a color matching side wager, the color matching side wager paying out a predetermined color matching payout if a player is dealt two cards having a matching color, and the color matching side wager paying out a second predetermined color matching payout if the player is dealt two cards with the matching color and a dealer up card has the matching color.
 22. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 21, further comprising a second side wager area assigned to a pair matching side wager, the pair matching side wager paying out a predetermined pair matching payout if the player is dealt two cards with matching denominations.
 23. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 22, wherein the pair matching side wager pays out a second predetermined pair matching payout if the player is dealt two cards with matching denominations and a dealer up card has the matching denomination.
 24. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 20, wherein the first side wager area is a Poker side wager; and wherein the game table further comprises a designated flop area for placement of community cards for use during play of the Poker side wager, Poker side wager payout being made based on a rank of a player's cards and the community cards as set forth in a Poker payout schedule.
 25. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 21, further comprising: a second side wager area assigned as a Poker side wager; and a designated flop area for placement of community cards for use during play of the Poker side wager, Poker side wager payout being made based on a rank of a player's cards and the community cards as set forth in a Poker payout schedule.
 26. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 22, further comprising: a third side wager area assigned as a Poker side wager; and a designated flop area for placement of community cards for use during play of the Poker side wager, Poker side wager payout being made based on a rank of a player's cards and the community cards as set forth in a Poker payout schedule.
 27. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 24, further comprising: a second side wager area having five color areas, each color area corresponding to one color in a 5 color 50 card deck of playing cards, wherein a payout is provided to a player based on a number of cards dealt face up to either the player or a dealer having a color matching the color of the second side wager area on which a wager is placed in accordance with a five color payout schedule.
 28. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 20, wherein the first side wager area is partitioned into three sub-areas, each sub-area being assigned a unique value range between 2 and
 21. 29. The Blackjack/21 game table as in claim 28, wherein a first sub-area is assigned a value range of 2-10, a second sub-area is assigned a value range of 11-13, and a third sub-area is assigned a value range of 14-21, and wherein a player wagers on a sum of two cards dealt to the player at initiation of play, payout is provided based on a range matching payout table. 